Public profile, private: Conclusion

So after interviewing the two students from the University of Wollongong, I learnt more on the life of being a Tumblr blogger as well as the lengths people go to keep their “Public blog private.”

Through further research I can conclude that spaces like Tumblr become the dark place –

They are the virtual rabbit holes and seedy undergrounds of the amusement parks and bright cartoon movie premieres – where users play hide and seek with their confessions, simultaneously seeking readership while at the same time hiding their real life identities from scrutiny.

So I guess you could describe Tumblr as “seedy.” It’s a place where people go but don’t want to be known or recognised. Where their thoughts and desires are met – like a shady strip club where you avoid making eye contact in case people know who you are.

This all links to the idea of the ‘Public Sphere’ as Habermas’s concept describes confusions that have plagued progressive social movements. In this instance, the social movement is how hidden we are behind the screen and yet are expected to allow the public to know our absolute self. Because we are all connected through media profiles, it would be obscene to not know who your ‘liking’ or re-blogging from, but within Tumblr, what you post is who the Tumblr sphere see’s you as.